< UJeremiya 46 >
1 Ilizwi leNkosi elafika kuJeremiya umprofethi limelene labezizwe;
This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
2 limelene leGibhithe, limelene lebutho likaFaro Neko inkosi yeGibhithe, elalingasemfuleni iYufrathi, eKarikemishi, alitshayayo uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi, indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda:
For Egypt: “This is about the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt that was at Carchemish by the Euphrates river. This was the army that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 Hlelani ihawu lesihlangu, lisondele empini.
Get the small shields and the large shields ready, and go forward to fight.
4 Bophelani amabhiza, ligade, bagadi bamabhiza, lizimise lilezingowane, lilole imikhonto, ligqoke amabhatshi ensimbi.
Put the harness on the horses; mount up on the horses and take your stand with your helmets on; polish the spears and put on your armor.
5 Ngibaboneleni betshaywa luvalo, bebuyela emuva? Lamaqhawe abo ephulaphuliwe, ayabaleka ngesiqubu, kawanyemukuli emuva; kulokwesaba inhlangothi zonke, itsho iNkosi.
What am I seeing here? They are filled with terror and are running away, for their soldiers are defeated. They are running for safety and are not looking back. Terror is all around—this is Yahweh's declaration—
6 Olejubane kangabaleki, leqhawe kalingaphunyuki; bazakhubeka bawele ngenyakatho eceleni komfula iYufrathi.
the swift cannot run away, and the soldiers cannot escape. They stumble in the north and fall beside the Euphrates River.
7 Ngubani lo okhukhumala njengesifula, omanzi aso aqubuka njengomfula?
Who is this who rises like the Nile, whose waters toss up and down like the rivers?
8 IGibhithe ikhukhumala njengesifula, lamanzi aqubuka njengemifula; ithi: Ngizakhukhumala, ngiwusibekele umhlaba, ngichithe umuzi labahlala kiwo.
Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of water that rise and fall. Egypt says, 'I will go up and I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.
9 Yenyukani mabhiza, lihlanye zinqola; kawaphume amaqhawe; amaEthiyophiya, lamaPuti aphatha isihlangu, lamaLudi aphatha anyathela idandili.
Go up, horses. Be angry, you chariots. Let the soldiers go out, Cush and Put, men skillful with a shield, and Ludim, men skillful at bending their bows.'
10 Ngoba lolu lusuku lweNkosi uJehova wamabandla, usuku lwempindiselo, ukuthi iziphindisele ezitheni zayo; lenkemba izakudla, isuthe, idakwe ligazi labo; ngoba iNkosi uJehova wamabandla ilomhlatshelo elizweni lenyakatho ngasemfuleni iYufrathi.
That day will be the day of vengeance for the Lord Yahweh of hosts, and he will avenge himself on his foes. The sword will devour and be satisfied. It will drink its fill of their blood. For there will be a sacrifice to the Yahweh Lord of hosts in the northern land by the Euphrates River.
11 Yenyukela eGileyadi, uyethatha ibhalisamu, ntombi emsulwa, ndodakazi yeGibhithe; imithi uyandisela ize, kakulakwelatshwa kuwe.
Go up to Gilead and obtain medicine, virgin daughter of Egypt. It is useless that you put much medicine on yourself. There is no cure for you.
12 Izizwe zizwile ihlazo lakho, lomhlaba ugcwele ukukhala kwakho; ngoba akhubekile, iqhawe limelene leqhawe, womabili awele phansi ndawonye.
The nations have heard of your disgrace. The earth is filled with your laments, for soldier stumbles against soldier; both of them fall together.”
13 Ilizwi iNkosi eyalikhuluma kuJeremiya umprofethi ngokuza kukaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ukutshaya ilizwe leGibhithe:
This is the word that Yahweh told Jeremiah the prophet when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and attacked the land of Egypt:
14 Memezelani eGibhithe, lizwakalise eMigidoli, lizwakalise eNofi leThahaphanesi, lithi: Zimise, uzilungiselele, ngoba inkemba izakudla inhlangothi zonke zakho.
“Announce in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. 'Take your station and prepare yourself, for the sword will devour those around you.'
15 Kungani amadoda akho alamandla ekhukhuliwe? Kawemanga ngoba iNkosi iwafuqile.
Why are your mighty ones face-down on the ground? They will not stand, because I, Yahweh, have pushed them to the ground.
16 Yandisa abakhubekayo, yebo, omunye wawela phezu komunye; basebesithi: Sukumani, sibuyele ebantwini bakithi, lelizweni lokuzalwa kwethu, sisuke enkembeni ecindezelayo.
He increases the numbers of those who stumble. Each soldier falls against the next one. They are saying, 'Get up. Let us go home. Let us go back to our own people, to our native land. Let us leave this sword that is beating us down.'
17 Bamemeza khona, bathi: UFaro inkosi yeGibhithe ungumsindo; udlulise isikhathi esimisiweyo.
They proclaimed there, 'Pharaoh the king of Egypt is only a noise, one who has let his opportunity slip away.'
18 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo yiNkosi yamabandla: Isibili njengeThabhori phakathi kwezintaba lanjengeKharmeli ngaselwandle uzafika.
As I live—declares the King, whose name is Yahweh of hosts— someone will come like Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel by the sea.
19 Zenzele izikhali zokuthunjwa, ndodakazi ehlala eGibhithe; ngoba iNofi izakuba yincithakalo, itshiswe, kungabi lomhlali.
Pack for yourselves baggage to carry into exile, you who live in Egypt. For Memphis will become a waste, it will lie in ruins and no one will live there.
20 IGibhithe ilithokazi elihle kakhulu; isibawu siyeza, sivela enyakatho.
Egypt is a very beautiful young cow, but a stinging insect is coming from the north. It is coming.
21 Labaqhatshiweyo bayo phakathi kwayo banjengethole lesibaya; ngoba labo baphendukile, babaleka kanyekanye; kabemanga, ngoba usuku lokuhlupheka kwabo lubehlele, isikhathi sempindiselo yabo.
The hired soldiers in her midst are like a fattened bull, but they will also turn away and run away. They will not stand together, for the day of their disaster is coming against them, the time of their punishment.
22 Ilizwi layo lizahamba njengenyoka; ngoba bazahamba lebutho, beze kuyo belamahloka, njengabagamuli bezihlahla.
Egypt hisses like a snake and crawls away, for her enemies are marching against her. They are going toward her like woodcutters with axes.
23 Bagamule ihlathi layo, itsho iNkosi, lanxa lingephenywe, ngoba banengi okwedlula isikhonyane, kabalakubalwa.
They will cut down the forests—this is Yahweh's declaration—although it is very dense. For the enemies will be more numerous than locusts, unable to be counted.
24 Indodakazi yamaGibhithe izayangeka, izanikelwa esandleni sabantu benyakatho.
The daughter of Egypt will be made ashamed. She will be given into the hand of people from the north.”
25 INkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Khangela, ngizajezisa uAmoni weNo, loFaro, leGibhithe, labonkulunkulu bayo, lamakhosi ayo, yebo uFaro labathembela kuye.
Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “See, I am about to punish Amon of Thebes, Pharaoh, Egypt and her gods, her kings the Pharaohs, and those who trust in them.
26 Ngibanikele esandleni salabo abadinga impilo yabo, lesandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni senceku zakhe; lemva kwalokho ihlalwe njengensukwini zendulo, itsho iNkosi.
I am giving them into the hand of the ones seeking their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his servants. Then after this Egypt will be inhabited as in previous days—this is Yahweh's declaration.
27 Kodwa wena, ungesabi, nceku yami Jakobe, ungatshaywa luvalo, Israyeli, ngoba khangela, ngizakusindisa usekhatshana, lenzalo yakho elizweni lokuthunjwa kwayo; uJakobe uzaphenduka-ke, athule, onwabe, njalo kakho ozamethusa.
But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear. Do not be dismayed, Israel, for see, I am about to bring you back from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Then Jacob will return, find peace, and be secure, and there will be no one to terrify him.
28 Wena, ungesabi, nceku yami Jakobe, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ngilawe; ngoba ngizaqeda ngokupheleleyo zonke izizwe engikuxotshele kuzo, kodwa kangiyikukuqeda ngokupheleleyo, ngikukhuze ngokufaneleyo, kodwa kangiyikukuyekela lokukuyekela ungajeziswanga.
You, my servant Jacob, do not fear—this is Yahweh's declaration—for I am with you, so I will bring complete destruction against all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not destroy you completely. Yet I will discipline you justly and will certainly not leave you unpunished.”